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Changing Barns is HARD!

8K views 32 replies 17 participants last post by  MyBoyPuck 
#1 ·
WOW! My anxiety level is at about a ten. The barn I've been at for 11 years isn't working for me anymore. It's a pristine, well-kept barn where the horses get excellent care. Access to great trails, which is primarily what I do. The problem? It's evolved into a teenager's jumping barn and that's where all the energy and focus goes. When I started there, I had many friends who were trailriders and we accomodated each other's schedules. Over time, that too has changed until I only have one person to trail with and only if I can make her 2:30 start time. My new western pleasure Paint needs more training and I need more lessons, but not in jumping. SOOOOO.....I found a new barn, or rather an old barn, taken over by new owners, that specializes in Paints. That barn is no where near as beautiful and consistently clean as the barn I'm at now, but the people are awesome, friendly and the trainer is superb. The horses are well cared for but the aisles are not always swept and there are no fancy individual lockers for each boarder. But people seem to be having fun and the horses are super happy and well behaved. At the barn I'm at now we all have to have leather halters and leads, blanket bags in the barn colors and it's always immaculate. I'm so afraid to tell my current owner that I'm leaving. She'll say that I'm going to a slum situation. I can just hear it. But I'm an adult and I know what I need. Still it's hard to leave a place you've been at for 11 years! But honestly, I haven't been really happy there for the past 3 years. So I know what I need to do. Bottom line - leaving barns, changing barns can be a difficult and tricky thing. As horse lovers we can only hope that the humans handle it in an adult and healthy manner. Can someone write a book on how to do this? MoonlightEm
 
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#29 ·
Wow, I feel for you! I had a horrible time working up the nerve to tell my BO I was moving Jackson. Over the years she and I became very good friends and she is actually the one that bred for my boy and taught me to ride. Unfortunately she is getting up there in age and is now unable to really care for the horses like I want, I was the only boarder and seemed to spend all of my time caring for her horses and never had the time to ride and work with mine. She certainly wasn't nearly as nasty as you experienced, but she still makes thinly veiled snide remarks about where Jack is. Glad you found a much better situation and I hope all works out well for you!
 
#30 ·
I think you definitely made the right decision and you're going to have a blast at your new barn. I couldn't imagine going through the stuff you did with your old barn, especially the fact where she reamed you out for leaving and then punished you for trying to do the right thing. Your new BO sounds like quite a wonderful person and I'm very happy for you. She seems just like my BO - he's a wonderful old cowboy type that really looks after his boarders. When I sold my horse, he tried to give me back my month of board because Levee was only there for a week into the new month. I told him to keep it because I wanted him to hold my place because I was bringing a new horse within a month. His basic reply was, "you don't need to worry about keeping your spot. That far run will be ready for you... just let me know when your horse is arriving so I can be here to meet her."
 
#31 ·
I am leaving the small facility I have been at for over a year, mainly because I am having a hard time finding hay; I don't have a truck and trailer, so I have to borrow one. I have also been sick for much of this fall, so being able to even go and get hay, is OUT at the moment, so we would have to find someone to deliver, and their prices of delivery on top of the cost of their actual hay pricing, are outrageous!!! Soooo we decided to see if we could find somewhere that included hay in the price of boarding that was in our pocket book range.

We found a larger stable...it's definitely not the "Ritz" but it has a nice arena, round pens, and another arena in the making, as well as open space and trails, and a lake near by!!!! The owners are down to earth, and the horses all looked healthy and well cared for. And for being a larger place, the horses were all very peaceful; that meant alot, atleast for me. You know how you can go to larger places, and the horses are all amped up, and just 'nervous'? I don't like that...so that all the horses, stabled ones, paddock ones, and the pastured ones were all at peace meant alot to me. No one was goofy, or revved up...save for one Arab, that wanted everyone to pet him as you went by, Lol!

I move my girl on the 15th...I am nervous and excited at the same time...hahahaha!
 
#32 ·
Yes, there's alot to be said for barn owners and barn managers who have strong people skills. At my old barn, horse care was PERFECT but she (owner) had no idea how to deal with conflict or relate to people's emotions and needs. It was all about her, her need to have the perfect barn and have it "better" (meaning cleaner) than any barn in the area. My new barn certainly isn't perfect and there are annoyances, but the barn owner is willing to listen and help with anything and barn manager is just as flexible. I think what bothered me most at my old barn was that the ONLY focus was on the jumping programs. Us trailriders paid the same board but there were never any new initiatives for western riders or a sense that we should need anything BUT the trails. It was only the hunter/jumpers that had activities and things to look forward too. So WHY be so hard on me for wanting to go to a barn where I could GROW?
Anyways, water over the dam now. But I find that I'm still grieving the loss of seeing my friends at old barn. Eleven years is a long time and it will take awhile for new barn to feel like home.
Again, I can't thank everyone enough who supported me through a horrific barn experience. It shouldn't have to be this way - this is a hobby/pasion in our lives. But barns sometimes seem to war with each other and be more envious of each other more than even nations and ethnic groups. Good thing no guns are involved. How sad, really. Em
 
#33 ·
Wow, I just read this whole thread. That woman at your old barn certainly is lacking in people skills. Over the course of 11 years, any barn is going to evolve to some extent. It's just a matter of if you're' going to end up in the minority or majority. That Facebook nonsense gave me flashbacks. I had a "leaving" experience similar to yours and also heard about all these fun trail rides and whatnot that my old barn was supposedly doing after I left. To this day, I'm pretty sure none of it happened.

What can I say, life happens, people grow, things change. The important thing is you're at a barn you can enjoy now. I wish you the best of luck there.
 
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